Pork processing giant, Cranswick has achieved another strong performance in its year end to March 2014.

Its strongest categories were fresh pork, bacon and cooked meats and its pastry business, with a facility at Malton, grew three times more than in Q4 than in the same period in 2013.

Overall the company's revenue grew by 12%.

In its trading statement, Cranswick also said export sales were well ahead of the levels reported in the previous financial year, reflecting robust demand for pork products in Far Eastern markets.

The Group invested in excess of £20 million in its infrastructure during the year ended 31 March 2014, allowing it to further improve operational efficiencies and to launch new product ranges. The Group’s new gourmet pastry facility at Malton, North Yorkshire, was successfully commissioned earlier in the financial year, albeit with higher than anticipated start-up costs and work is ongoing on the extension to the Milton Keynes cooked meats facility which will add substantial capacity and deliver further efficiency gains.

As previously reported, the record input prices seen during the year impacted operating margins. Despite some recovery as the year progressed, operating margins will, as expected, be slightly below those achieved in the previous financial year.

Financial position

Notwithstanding the significant capital investment programme and the acquisition of the pig breeding and rearing activities earlier in the year, strong cash generation from operating activities through the final quarter will result in year-end net debt being substantially lower than at the end of quarter three and below the level reported at the last financial year end.

The Group recently extended the term and increased the size of its banking facility, leaving the business in a sound financial position, with committed, unsecured facilities of £120 million which provide generous headroom through to July 2018.

This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.